Long-time Lions member Andrew Mazzallo, recently brought it to the Club’s attention that new draftee Lewis Taylor is a direct descendent from the merger between Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears.

In a roundabout way, Taylor’s journey to becoming a Brisbane Lions player can be traced way back to 1996 – when the Geelong Falcons junior was just 18 months old.

It can all be traced back to Nick Carter, who was one of the eight pre-listed Fitzroy players who joined the newly merged Lions in Brisbane at the end of the 1996 AFL season.

After just two seasons at the Brisbane Lions, Carter was traded to Melbourne for Pick No.45, which was used by the Club to recruit Aaron Shattock.

Shattock spent five seasons in Brisbane and was part of the Lions’ 2002 premiership triumph, before he was traded to Port Adelaide at the end of 2004.

As part of the deal that saw Shattock join the Power, the Lions received Pick No.45 and used it to draft exciting Tasmanian teenager Justin Sherman.

Sherman played 114 matches with the Lions from 2005-2010, but ended up being traded to the Western Bulldogs in exchange for their third-band compensation selection (received for losing Jarrod Harbrow to the newly formed Gold Coast).

The Lions chose to activate that particular selection at the 2011 AFL National Draft, and used it to recruit West Australian Elliot Yeo.

Yeo ultimately requested a trade back home at the end of the 2013 season, and the Club reluctantly traded him to West Coast for the Eagles’ second round selection (Pick No.28).

At last Thursday’s AFL National Draft, Lewis Taylor was welcomed into the Club courtesy of that Pick No.28.

While the ‘six degrees of separation’ concept can be used on just about anyone or anything the days (just ask Kevin Bacon), it’s important to note that the ‘family tree’ – so to speak – for any other person associated with the merger has since been broken.

Interestingly, it just so happens that Lewis Taylor’s father, Simon, is a former supporter of Fitzroy.

Taylor also hails from Mortlake – the same home town as former Fitzroy great and AFL Victoria High Performance Manager, Leon Harris.